Due to the difficulty
and complexity of Manhunt it was decided to do this in two parts,
including, a general overview of the story with no real spoilers
in the way. This is advised for those that are interested in buying
the game and those playing the game.

Then there is a more thorough spoiler ridden story
which takes us from before the start of the game until 6 months
after the game finishes. This is advised for those that don’t
mind spoilers and those that have finished the game.

Story
Overview

The game starts with us finding out that
Cash has been sentence to execution by lethal injection,
after 3 years of being on death row. As he is taken over
to the bed to be injected, he struggles to get free but
is overwhelmed. Cash is later woken up by a mysterious voice
over a speaker. The first words he hears are: "Hey
tough guy, wake up. You're not dead. Well, not yet, anyway.
You're getting a second chance, another throw of the dice.
As far as the world is concerned, you died back in the chamber.
Justice was served; James Earl Cash is rotting in hell."
Clearly still dazed Cash tries to escape from the room.
The voice instructs him to insert the ear piece; still not
sure of his surrounding Cash spots a surveillance camera
and attempts to take it out. It is at this point that he
is "You've had an unexpected reprieve...do exactly
as I say, and I promise, this will be over, before the night
is out." As Cash inserts the ear peace, the door opens
and Cash is freed upon Carcer City.

Little does Cash know but this is just
the beginning of the longest night of his life. The voice
in his ear is that of Lionel Starkweather, a once big shot
in Hollywood that now deals in snuff movies. Starkweather
is working in conjunction with Darkwood Penitentiary to
cast his leading man. It is at this point that Cash is instructed
as to what Starkweather is asking of him, hundreds of cameras
have been set up throughout the city filming every movement
that Cash makes. What Cash must do is eliminate anyone that
comes in his path, the bloodier and more brutal the execution
the better, all for the sake of Starkweathers sick videos.

A spanner is thrown into the works when
the local news reporter catches on to Starkweathers game.
She discovers that something is up and is out to reveal
the true identity behind Valiant Video Enterprises and take
them down. In order to do so she has to track down and talk
to Cash.

Warning: this
section is very spoiler heavy. If you do not wish for the
story of Manhunt to be ruined for you then do not read past
this line.

In the opening scene Starkweather decides to test Cash, instructing
him to kill the first gang member. He has set the hunter up
to see if Cash has what it takes to be his leading man, Starkweather
proceeds to direct Cash through the basics of surviving the
streets of Carcer, upon learning the basics Cash jumps down
a shoot, landing to an alleyway.

The alleyway leads to another abandoned
section of Carcer City that is cordoned off in order for
Starkweather to create his illicit movies. Cash is forced
to take to the shadows, taking anyone out that comes in
his way via the means of stealth. Cash finds himself stood
in front of a set of locked gates. Forced to look for away
past the gate Cash comes up against a hood packing a crowbar;
Cash quickly takes the crowbar wielding hood out and proceeds
beyond the gate to the Abandoned Library.

Continuing on his way to the abandoned library, Cash finds
himself passing through building to building, taking out hoods
as they appear, along his way passing through a cellar. Once
back on the streets Cash must use a crowbar to open the locked
gate, the Cerberus are waiting on Cash’s arrival from
the alleyway, Starkweather says to them “Get ready boys
he’s coming” After pointing a gun in Cash’s
face one of them hits the back of his legs, knocking him down,
they then beat Cash until he can't move, they waste little
time taking him to the next scene.

The Cerberus drop Cash off at the local
junkyard that is being patrolled by the Skinz, whom are
brought in by Ramirez, when one of the Skinz gets in Ramirez
face he breaks their neck, demonstrating his dominance,
he proceeds to instruct them to take Cash out.

Cash makes his way through the junkyard avoiding death only
to find himself blocked in by another gate, however this time
it is blocked off by members of the Skinz wielding nailguns.
Cash quickly takes them out and proceeds to the next area
of the junkyard, the security is heavy, the Skinz are everywhere.
Cash must cut the power in order to proceed past the Skinz
member that is watching porn. Up ahead there is away out,
however this is not without problem as it has been blocked
of by fridges, there is a huge crane near by but it is out
of gasoline. Cash finds himself forced to fill the crane up
with gasoline, forcing a way through, along the way taking
out tens of Skinz. As Cash sneakily makes his way out of the
junkyard, he is ambushed by the Cerberus, one of which sneaks
up from behind and puts him in a chokehold.

Some other Cerberus are shown feeding some crazed man wearing
a pigs face on his head that is chained up in the attic. The
Cerberus proceed to drop Cash off at Carcer City zoo, the
zoo is being patrolled by the deadly Wardogs, headed by Ramirez,
who once again instructs his men as to what to do. Cash must
make his way from one end of the zoo to the other, leaving
a bloody path of death along the way. Cash finds himself passing
through the gates only for a bombshell to be dropped on him,
his family has been tied up and in order to move onto the
next scene Cash must save at least one of them. Along the
way we discover Cash and his family aren’t really close,
he even calls one of them an idiot.

After Starkweather is pleased the Cerberus
once again shows up and captures Cash, one aggravated Cerberus
member can be heard uttering the words 'you just wont fucking
die will you' towards the ever charismatic Cash.

Ramirez is shown rounding up the troops,
he splits the Innocentz up into packs, sending some of them
to the mall and the others to the graveyard. Cash is given
a series of orders, first get a video camera and then the
tape, he is then told that the video camera is broken and
that he should use the TV in the bar within the mall to
view the tape. The tape has footage of his family being
killed, Cash is not pleased and lashes out, smashing the
TV. Starkweather proceeds to tell you that he couldn't let
them escape and that he is the only family you need now.
You are soon informed that Starkweather has a partner for
you, however he has been locked up by the Innocentz, Cash
must free the bum and take him to through a serious of gates
which Starkweather has locked and is viewing from a camera.
The only way for Cash to get through is to get the bum out
alive. Once arriving at the graveyard, Cash must take out
the remaining Innocentz and enter the tomb.

Cash finds himself in a not so abandoned
factory, the factory is polluted with Cerberus but fortunately
Cash is now wielding a shotgun and is more than a match
for them. As Cash is about to leave the factory he is ambushed
by the Cerberus, they sedate Cash and take him off too “dark
woods penitentiary” that is the local nut house to
me and you.

We are told that there are over 1000 inmates,
and unfortunately for Cash they have broken free and are
packing heat. Cash makes his way through the penitentiary
and hits a road block, Starkweather wants the head of the
dress wearing lunatic, upon providing Starkweather with
his head he gives Cash the gift of a shotgun and allows
him to proceed. Not long after giving Cash the gift he asks
that Cash give it back as he must drop all weapons and jump
down through the hole in the floor to the abandoned lock
up below.

Cash then has to play a game of simon-says as Starkweather
gives out commands as to the various gruesome ways he wants
Cash to take out the crazies that roam the corridors. Starkweather
has the place on lockdown so the only way to advance is to
do as he says, once he has had his fill he allows Cash to
proceed. Cash no sooner thinks he is regaining control of
his sanity than it is taken away from him. There is a crazed
killer stood up ahead in a white rabbit suit, that wants to
play chase. The White Rabbit holds the prison key and Cash
wants it, the rabbit leads Cash through the prison where Cash
takes out dozens of Smilies, with no where to go the rabbit
runs for the control tower outside. As Cash leaves the cells
it becomes apparent that Starkweather didn’t have too
much faith in the Smilies as he has the Cerberus monitoring
the whole operation. Forced to take on the Cerberus, Cash
heroically takes them all down, not before stripping the rabbit
of both the key and his head. Ramirez is shown getting informed
that Cash has slipped his leash and that he has to be brought
to heal, under Starkweathers command.

Just as Cash believes he finally might
be out of this mess, the Wardogs intervene. Ramirez takes
Cash by surprise and throws him a beating, once again stripping
him of his weapons. The Wardogs then allow Cash to regain
his balance and run for his life. Ramirez has strength in
numbers and is out for a game of hide and seek, weaponless
Cash takes to the shadows slowly but surely eliminating
every last member of the Wardogs, sensing death Ramirez
takes refuge in an abandoned apartment complex where he
is able to call for backup. Cash attempts to take Ramirez
out the same way he did all his dominions, stealthily and
quietly but Ramirez is to strong and throws Cash over his
shoulder. Ramirez runs out from the building and hides in
the roughage outside. With the place heaving with more Wardogs
Cash resorts to taking Ramirez out with a sniper shot to
the head.

As Cash runs away from the gunfire from
the Wardogs a car pulls up with a woman insisting “get
in you idiot, get in” confused by the whole situation
Cash instructs her to pull over so she can fill him in.
It is here that Cash finds out Starkweathers name, the reporter
informs Cash that she was at his execution and has been
following Starkweather for months, building a report on
him. Cash insists they make their way to her apartment so
that she can get the report, file it and take Starkweather
down. Starkweather communicates with the CCPD over the radio
instructing them that it is there job to take care of the
city’s mess, obviously referring to Cash being on
the loose. The corrupt Carcer City Police have surrounded
the reporter's apartment and secure the surrounding streets
by order of Starkweather. Anticipating the ambush Cash instructs
the reporter to pull over two blocks from her apartment
that way they can have the element of surprise. Cash instructs
the reporter to hide as he battles his way up to her apartment,
once in the apartment Cash decides that he will go and thank
the Director personally for his second chance, leaving the
reporter behind. Cash then takes to the streets heading
in the direction of the subway station.

Cash exits via the subway after a battle
with the Carcer SWAT, in the process killing most of them
off. Piggsy is shown escaping captivity from an unknown
area. Cash then exits the subway at the other side to find
himself at the train tracks where he again is forced to
battle with yet more Swat and CCPD.

At the end of the scene it looks as though
it is all over for Cash as he is surrounded by SWAT team
members, then from no where the Cerberus come from behind
the SWAT and kill them all, taking Cash with them.

They pull up inside a garage near by Starkweathers
mansion, to discover that Piggsy has broken free and is
on a killing spree. The Cerberus contemplates finishing
Cash off just as they become aware of the disturbance and
are forced to leave to investigate. They leave Cash outside
the van, within the garage; from here Cash escapes from
the garage and makes his way through Starkweathers mansion,
he enters the cellar door and navigates his way through
the mansion, slaying Cerberus as if they where nothing.

Cerberus guards hear of Cash's arrival and lock down the
elevator, the lead Cerberus member demands that he be given
the key from another and instructs him to go down and turn
the elevators motor off. Cash kills them and turns the power
back on then escapes to the attic using the elevator.

Cash quickly finds himself under attack as Piggsy is attempting
to rip him apart with his chainsaw. Cash is forced to escape
through the roof of the elevator, in the process dropping
his weapons. He now finds himself in an attack with a madman
with murder on his mind, Cash is forced to take to the shadows
once again and use whatever weapons he can find to take Piggsy
out. After a few select attacks Piggsy runs off with his tail
between his legs, Cash gives chase but soon finds himself
once again under attack by the madman. Cash discovers a way
to take Piggsy out via a loose vent on an upper level of the
attic, Cash runs over the vent with Piggsy not far behind,
as he steps on the vent he falls through the floor dropping
his chainsaw, as Piggsy holds on for his life Cash quickly
grabs the chainsaw and finishes Piggsy off once and for all.

Cash attempts to get to Starkweather behind the locked door,
Starkweather immediately sends the Cerberus out after Cash,
forcing Cash back down into the attic. Cash uses the chainsaw
to take the Cerberus out once and for all before heading back
up for Starkweather. As Cash opens the door Starkweather opens
fire, Cash takes cover before taking Starkweather out via
cutting him up with the chainsaw, not before Starkweather
pleads for his life.

Afterwards the reporter is shown, doing
a report on TV, revealing to the public exactly what has
went on in Carcer City, revealing Starkweathers evil ways.

Two weeks later… The journalist is locked
up in a psychiatric ward, undergoing therapy. The state is
trying to cover the whole situation as she is a thorn in their
side. Cash is still out there, his whereabouts unknown.